AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellowship in Early Childhood Education and DevelopmentMarch 15, 2017 Deadline

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) are pleased to announce a joint initiative, the AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellowship in Early Childhood Education and Development. This fellowship provides a collaborative opportunity for early career scholars to participate in a research network focused on early childhood education and development.

The purpose of this initiative is to build an early career cohort of scholars with integrative interests and expertise at the nexus of child development and formal/informal education and learning in their broader social context. It leverages the expertise and convening capacity of both organizations to create a context for early career scholars to expand their research competencies and enhance their research programs.

An initial step toward this collaboration will begin at the 2017 meetings of each organization, the SRCD Biennial Meeting in Austin, Texas (April 6 – 8, 2017) and the AERA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas (April 27 – May 1, 2017). There will be dedicated symposia on the topic of early childhood education and development with leading research experts at each meeting. This joint effort will capitalize on the knowledge, skills, and research expertise of senior scholars who constitute the AERA-SRCD Advisory Committee and mentors for this initiative.

Each dedicated symposium will be followed by a private meeting of selected early career scholars with a member or members of the Advisory Committee to build on the symposium and consider issues of shared interest at the intersection of early childhood education and development. The setting of this short meeting will be conducive to networking and informal exchange.

The Advisory Committee will select 8 early career scholars planning to attend either the AERA or SRCD meeting. They will receive travel awards of up to $1000 to attend the 2017 meeting that they were not otherwise planning to attend. The Committee will consider applicants with a prior commitment to attend both meetings.

This introductory cohort of AERA-SRCD early career fellows will participate in shaping this fellowship program. Shortly after the conclusion of the SRCD and AERA meetings, the 8 scholars will contribute to assessing the effectiveness of the combined symposia and follow-up sessions. This feedback will then be used to design a longer (e.g., two-year) program to build a cadre of early career scholars. In future years, each cohort of fellows will focus on a different aspect of the topic, such as middle school versus early education years.

Eligibility for the 2017 travel awards:
• Awarded a doctorate within the last 7 years (2010 or later) in education research, human development, or another social or behavioral science disciplinary or interdisciplinary field, such as economics, psychology, or sociology.
• Some track record of research in child development, education research related to formal or informal education of children and youth, or research grounded in other social and behavioral science fields with an emphasis on children, early childhood, or education and learning.

U.S. underrepresented racial and ethnic minority researchers are strongly encouraged to apply. Early career scholars from or working outside of the United States are eligible. Membership in AERA or SRCD is not a requirement for application, but it is expected that accepted Fellows will become a member of one of the two associations as a condition of participation.

Award Components:
Fellows will attend both the 2017 SRCD Biennial Meeting and 2017 AERA Annual
Meeting. They will be reimbursed up to $1,000 for travel and conference related expenses to attend one of the two meetings (the one they were not otherwise planning to attend). Fellows may be selected who were planning to attend both meetings, but they only will receive reimbursement for one of the two meetings. Registration fees are an allowable cost.

Application Procedure:
Applicants must submit the following in a combined PDF.
1. Statement of Interest (maximum 500 words), describing the applicant's background,
career goals, and how the applicant would benefit from the Early Career Fellowship. The statement should include research interests and experiences related to childhood education and development.
2. Applicant's curriculum vitae (limited to 2 pages) that includes: research and academic employment history; relevant publications and presentations; relevant graduate courses in research methodology and statistics; relevant accomplishments, specialized training, professional affiliations, and/or memberships;
3. Indication of plans to attend either the AERA or SRCD 2017 meeting and anticipated participation at that meeting (please note if planning to attend both meetings, anticipated participation, and any sources of support for each); and
4. List of 2-3 AERA or SRCD senior scholars who could be contacted as references.

Review and Selection Process:
The AERA-SRCD Advisory Committee composed of senior scholars and researchers will review and evaluate the applications. Submissions are treated as confidential documents. The Committee is unable to provide feedback to all applicants.

Award Notification:
AERA will notify all applicants of the outcome no later than Friday, March 24, 2017. All decisions and communication will be through e-mail.